Let Dinner Tonight text you dinner ideas!

     This is quite possibly the coolest and most helpful thing I've seen in a while. Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine has a new text messaging service called Dinner Tonight by SMS. If you sign up for this service, the kind folks at Dinner Tonight will text you a recipe title every day. This is where the service gets cool. You don't like the title? Delete the text. It never came, and you can forget about it. You do like the title? Sounds like it might be tasty?


Dinner Tonight by SMS
Reply with the word "cook". The text messaging service will then text you a shopping list and email you a copy of the recipe. This means that I'm sitting at my desk, it's 5pm, and I'm wondering, "What am I going to make for dinner when I get home?" Boom, a text message with a recipe titled Penne with Two Tomatoes and Mozzarella. Sounds tasty, I think, and I reply. Boom, there's my shopping list, and I can mentally tick off what I have at home versus what I have to pick up from the store (mozzarella). I stop at the store, pick up my cheese, and when I get home, I sign on and have the recipe there, 20 minutes to make, and dinner's on the table.

     The recipes have all been about 20 minutes cook and prep time, too. It's really a brilliant service, and I am looking forward to the quick recipes that it will share. If you're interested and have a cell phone (no smart phones necessary), I suggest you try this out as well.

EDIT: As of 8/1/2012, This service is no longer available. Sorry, non-smart phone users!

Quick Post: Williams Sonoma Sale!

     Although it is currently 92 degrees outside here in DC, I must give all the heads up regarding an email I just received. Williams Sonoma online is having a 75% off summer sale, and when I browsed over to see what they were offering, I found something I had to have:





Essential Oils Collection in the scent of Spiced Chestnut
     I posted about this set last October, but didn't pick it up then. The original price of that set was upwards of $35. If you catch it soon, you can also pick it up for $14.99. I can't wait for fall to come--I'm already fully stocked and ready to enjoy it.

Holiday Ro o o o o o o o o oad!

     I just got back from a really great family vacation in the Outer Banks, NC. I'd never been there before, but after a week there, I know I'd go back. It's more laid back than other beaches I've visited, but it's got some great little gems that are really worth the attention. It was a great week. Five straight days off of work, read a good book, got some sunburn, but at least my skin saw the sun! Working in an office leaves me paler than pale usually, so I'm really happy I got some color. I know about the health concerns, but like I said, I see sun so rarely, I think my skin will be able to repair the 51 other weeks out of the year that I hide indoors.



     My top five picks for fun at OBX:

1. Duck Donuts: If you haven't had these, I'd almost urge you to drop everything and drive to OBX for them. Best. donut. ever.
   
2. SunScents: My husband and I actually had the chance to talk to the owner of the store and creator of the candles. He was a great guy. He recommended Burt's Bees Carrot Body Lotion for my sunburn, and said that all of the locals prefer it to Burt's Bees After Sun lotion. Also, he said that he tries to make sure that the products in his store are made in the U. S., which my husband and I respect. The candles smelled really good, too. I got one for my mom--don't tell her!
   
3. ALL Beach shops in general. I love beach shops, ankle bracelets, and shell jewelry.
   
4. Billy's Seafood. This place is brilliant. You're at the beach all day and tired, you'd like to eat dinner at your beach house, but you don't feel like cooking. Anything. Take a trip to Billy's Seafood in Collington, order yourself some already-steamed crab legs for under $10 a pound, take it home and feast. If you like blue crabs, call a few days ahead. Their steamed shrimp was also excellent, and you can't beat their price or quality on steamed crab legs at any restaurant.
   
5. Scarborough Faire Shopping Village: I'm a window shopper, and this place was lovely. Off the roads, there's wooden walkways and a ton of shops.
   

     If you'd like to view a couple of pictures that I snapped, I placed an album here.